What’s Next?
Take a moment to pause, and think about how far we have come as a civilization. Internalize that loud sound your computer used to make when you were younger, that walk you had to make to talk to a friend, that letter you had to send in the mail to hear from a relative. We have come a long way whether we believe it or not.
Think about that loud sound, that giant white cinderblock, you had to carry around made when you first turned it on. It screeched and shook people out of their seats forcing the blood to start pumping instantly. Now, imagine that sound being condensed into a micro version, but only this time that sound is redundant every 2-3 minutes. This noise was a sound of satisfaction, a peaceful bliss. Awakening from the dead, because something delightful had come. Woosh is that noise. Picture yourself in 1971 being the first to know about this new technology. This is just the beginning, the start of a whole new world. Now, the time has progressed and we are now carrying around those same devices, rather they are smaller and more compact. We have these little devices that stimulate our attention for minutes or even hours. These devices can be carried around and put into our pockets or bags. We quickly grab them, click on the case, and leave with them instantaneously. What I’m referring to here is the phone or laptop.
Close your eyes and think to yourself, what would life be like without these devices circulating in our society. Some might argue that it would be more peaceful, while others would say, less inclusive. A world where we constantly need to be stimulated by technology is an interesting world, but a world with limitations on who we can interact with also pleads an interesting case. What would you rather?
Regardless, our fate was chosen for us and now we are on the path to a technology-filled world. Noises, bright lights, and apps run our world. Turn your head to the right and you hear a video playing, turn to the left and you hear the tv playing, look down and you see yourself typing up a paper for your First-Year writing seminar, and look up and see your dad talking on the phone with his co-worker. This is a world we created, and we can’t escape. We continuously do our best to stay in the loop and be up to date with what is going on in our current society. There is no time to rest.
Think about the last time you took a few minutes to stop, and take in nature around you, absent from music, social media, talking on the phone, or texting. This probably presumes to be hard for many people. Why? Because our society is always on the go, looking for new ways to innovate, stay in the loop, and preventing that fear of feeling left out. This is what technology has been able to solve for us.
Technology has gotten rid of that feeling of being left out and brought inclusiveness even if you are not included. You can take out your 5-inch device, slide the screen open, and type a few words, which can be read by anyone at their convenience. Take a moment to process that. Of the 8 billion or so people in the world, any one of them is capable of reading what you have said, no matter where you are. What do you think about that? That is incredible, and the reason why we can connect with whomever we want, wherever we want, whenever we want.
This is networking. You can like someone's post, meet someone new, or write an article for people to see just at the click of a button. The technology the world has presented has made the possibilities endless, and you can reach new heights by just taking that risk to go out there and meet someone new.